Farm walk.

We were delighted to host the British Independent Fruit Growers Association (BIFGA) Spring Farm Walk which was held at Howt Green Farm, nr Sittingbourne on 8 May. It was a record turnout with 100 members plus guests and as always it was a great opportunity to meet up with fellow growers.

When we bought Howt Green Farm in 2008 the cropping area was 53 hectares, but after acquiring neighbouring land the farmed area has now grown to 142 hectares. We have planted a new variety of apple plus, Royal Gala, Bramley, Braeburn apples and Conference Pears and retained some existing Bramley, Conference Pears and cherries.

We have also constructed new cold stores on the farm, the last of which was completed in 2018, which has created a storage capacity of 30,000 bins. This helps reduce vehicle movements to and from the farm during the busy harvest period and ensures the fruit gets into cold storage as soon as possible after harvest to keep it in tip top condition.